Fergus G. Malone (August, 1844 – January 1, 1905) was a professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

player in the 1860s and 1870s. He was the

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...

for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1871, champion of the first professional league season. Born 1842 in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, Malone was one of 4 Irish natives to play in the first National Association season and one of five in the first

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

season. If we do not count the NA as a major league, he and

Andy Leonard Andrew Jackson Leonard (June 1, 1846 – August 21, 1903) was a professional baseball player of the 19th century, who played outfield and was also a utility infielder. He played left field for the original Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first fully ...

share distinction as the first major leaguers born in Ireland, by good fortune that their teams met in the first NL game, 22 April 1876. Leonard is alone first if we count the NA. Although a left-handed thrower, Malone was mainly a catcher with major teams, both amateur and pro. Physically it was a demanding position, no one using a face mask or regularly using a glove. (

Doug Allison Douglas L. Allison (July 12, 1846 – December 19, 1916) was an American Major League Baseball player. He began his career as a catcher for the original Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first fully professional baseball team. Allison was one of ...

used buckskin mittens in 1870, but gloves and masks were only adopted for regular use by some catchers beginning in the late 1870s.) Malone was the primary

for the Philadelphia Athletics 1871–72,

Philadelphia White Stockings The Philadelphia White Stockings were an early professional baseball team. They were a member of the National Association from 1873 to 1875. Their home games were played at the Jefferson Street Grounds. They were managed by Fergy Malone, Jimmy ...

1873, and Chicago White Stockings 1874. In 1873–74, he was team captain, earning manager's credit today. He returned to the Philadelphia Whites and played in eight games in 1875, then returned to the Philadelphia Athletics for the inaugural

season, catching 20 of 60 games. Malone was the highest paid player in professional baseball in 1874 with an annual salary of $2,800 (). Fergy Malone was 34 when the Athletics were expelled from the National League, which contracted from eight to six for 1877. He returned to the majors with the one-year Union Association in 1884, managing its Philadelphia entry and playing in one game. In 220 major league games Fergy Malone batted .274 with one

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

, 157

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

, and 200 runs scored. He was a

player-manager A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the s ...

for his teams in 1873, 1874, and 1884, recording a total of 47 wins and 66 losses. Malone died 1905 in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

at the age of 60. He is buried at New Cathedral Cemetery in Philadelphia. The

Society for American Baseball Research The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball primarily through the use of statistics. Established in Cooperstown, New ...

list Malone as a Civil War veteran, having enlisted in a 100 days’ regiment on July 15, 1864, and serving with Dick McBride as a private and corporal in Company A, 196th Pennsylvania.

References

*Wright, Marshall (2000). ''The National Association of Base Ball Players, 1857–1870''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co.

External links

*Retrosheet
"Fergy Malone"
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Malone, Fergy 19th-century Irish people Major League Baseball catchers Major League Baseball player-managers Philadelphia Keystones (NABBP) players Washington Olympics (NABBP) players Philadelphia Athletics (NABBP) players Philadelphia Athletics (NA) players Philadelphia White Stockings players Philadelphia White Stockings managers Chicago White Stockings players Philadelphia Athletics (NL) players Philadelphia Keystones players Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball players from the United Kingdom Major League Baseball players from Northern Ireland Northern Irish baseball players 19th-century baseball players 1842 births 1905 deaths Minor league baseball managers Philadelphia (minor league baseball) players San Francisco Californias players Holyoke (minor league baseball) players People from County Tyrone

See also

References

External links